Getting it on and Putting it Off
by Wednesdaycried
Summary: Jack has some news which will upset Adrian. How will he react? This is a continuation of "A Framework" but is possibly AU as it is about a non-canon pairing. Some mild sex references.


**Getting it on and putting it off**

**Disclaimer – I don't own Bread or the characters. **

Jack had mixed feelings as made his way back to Kelsall Street. On the one hand, he still had the words "It was wonderful" ringing in his ears and he couldn't prevent a grin from appearing on his face. On the other hand, he knew he would have to tell Adrian today. He'd hoped to put it off a bit longer, but now that Billy had seen them, he would have to get there before his little brother opened his big gob. Joey had known for a few days, he'd promised not to say anything provided that he came clean by the end of the week. He couldn't put it off any longer.

He found Adrian on the sofa, where he had been all morning. Jack took it as a good sign that he was up and dressed and hadn't sloped off back to bed, but then he spotted the book.

"What you reading that for?" he asked.

"These? Our Joey gave them to me, night classes in art. I'm going to be the Scouse Salvadore Dali." Adrian answered, proud that he had remembered an artist beginning with S.

"Great" replied Jack not really listening, "but I meant _that_." he nodded his head towards the book. "You're not seeing Carmen again are you?" It had never occurred to Jack that Carmen might cheat on him especially not with Adrian and he couldn't hide the panic in his voice.

"Why do people connect this book with Carmen? I'm not seeing her again, I was just feeling a bit blue, but Joey has sorted that out."

Jack wished Joey were there now to sort things out, to smooth over the inevitable fall out. " I didn't think you were, I mean it's hard to go back to someone when you left them with your shirt tails flapping in the wind."

"I never told you about that!" a shocked Adrian answered and Jack bit his lip. He had to get this right, no need to make things harder for Adrian than they need be. "It's alright, I understand that girls talk."

"What?" asked Jack, perhaps this was going to be easier than he thought,maybe Adrian already knew.

"You've been going round with a daft smile on you face and a glint in your eye and that can only one thing. Who is she then?"

Jack's heart sank, he was going to have to tell him after all. He was about to speak when Adrian piped up again.

"Well she must be a friend of Carmen's. Let me guess. Lizzie Haycroft?"

Jack shook his head. He wasn't in the mood for games, but Adrian seemed to have found his second wind.

"Brenda Makin?" asked Adrian and he was met with another shake of the head.

"Daisy Carpenter?" he asked again.

"Who's Daisy Carpenter?" replied Jack.

"No-one. I was just seeing if you were paying attention. Who _is_ the lucky lady then?"

"It's Carmen." Jack answered quietly.

"Carmen, that's a coincidence, there can't be many.. oh, you mean my Carmen?" asked Adrian, the penny finally dropping.

"She's not your Carmen any more though is she? You _left_ her."

"Yes, I did and you know _why_ I left her. You witnessed the phone conversations that went went on til 2 in the morning, leaving me exhausted, you saw me come home with my dignity hanging by a thread when she told me I was no good at it.." Adrian trailed off.

"She was never right for you" Jack answered. "I mean, you've got A-levels"

"I fail to see what my intellectual capacity has to do with our mutual compatibility." retorted Adrian, who liked to hide his bruised ego behind big words.

"You need mental stimulation" replied Jack. He'd borrowed a thesaurus in anticipation of this.

"I need physical stimulation as well" declared Adrian.

"Exactly, you need more than just physical comfort, you need to think, to talk, to plan." he replied, remembering a previous conversation. "whereas me and Carmen are happy just to .."

"Bang away like a pair of road drills?"queried Adrian who also remembered the conversation.

Jack lowered his head, it wasn't quite like that but he understood it probably seemed that way to Adrian. He wished Joey were here to smooth things over. He always knew what to say.

"How long has it been going on?" Adrian broke the silence.

"Not long. She tried to seduce me just after you'd broken up, she came to the house when you'd gone out, nothing happened at the time, our Billy interrupted us."

"Oh, he does have some uses then?"

The two of them laughed lightly, teasing Billy was the only pleasure all the Boswells had in common.

"Then a few weeks ago, I bumped in her in town. She had a lot of shopping with her. I gave her a lift home and well that was that."

"I see" said Adrian solemnly.

"The thing is Adrian, we're not doing anything wrong. You dumped her and I was single. We didn't carry on behind your back and we didn't set out to hurt you."

Adrian nodded, he could see that Jack was right about everything. Carmen had never been suitable for him. He knew Jack hadn't set out to hurt him, in fact he'd always tried his best to look out for him. He didn't manage it as smoothly as Joey did, but he tried in his own way and deep down he knew Carmen wasn't that vindictive either, she was no Roxy, but it still stung. Why did bad news always follow good? He'd felt buoyed up by the idea of art classes and now he was feeling low again.

"It's all so easy for you though Jack. Look how much better at buying and selling you are than me."

"I've been doing it longer" Jack replied.

"And then there's women. I never seem to get that right. When I did finally manage it with Carmen it was only after talks with you and Joey and several self help books."

"I've been doing it longer." Jack grinned. " anyway, you've .."

"If you say 'you've got A-levels' I'll burst you." Adrian shouted leaping to his feet.

"I was going to say, you've never been dumped. You always did the dumping, that must count for something. I mean even our Joey's been dumped."

Adrian smiled, it was true he'd always been the one to finish things, but only because he was always scared. He wasn't sure exactly what he was scared of, but he never felt very relaxed with women.

"Where is our Joey anyway?" asked Jack trying to change the subject.

"At the DHSS, trying to charm more money from Medusa" this being his nickname for Martina.

"Good for him, I always said he should spread himself around more."

"You don't mean? Ugh, she terrifies me, she called me number 49." Adrian realised Jack was looking at him with an odd smile on his face. "I guess I _am_ frightened of women like you once said. Carmen, that woman in the big house, Medusa. They all terrify me."

"It won't always be that way, Adrian." Jack moved forward trying to emulate Joey when he was trying to offer comfort his younger siblings. He felt better now that his confession was out of the way and was trying to help Adrian feel better too. "One day you'll meet some you like and you will be able to think and talk and plan, and _then_ go at it like two teenage rabbits that have just got out of prison."

The brothers chuckled and Jack asked if they were still friends.

"Of course we are, I won't let one of my cast offs come between us." Adrian answered with a mock haughty look. Jack was about to protest when he realised Adrian was joking and he gave his brother a hug.

"Thanks Jack." Adrian said while they were hugging.

"What for."

"For telling me before the others got wind of it. Especially our Billy."

As if on cue, Billy opened the front door and walked in on his older brothers.

"So you told him then? I must say you're being very good about it, Adrian. If I'd caught Jack bonking my Julie, I'd kill him."

"Funnily enough Billy" Jack found himself saying through gritted teeth. "I've now got murder on my mind, and your gob is going to be the victim."


End file.
